Frank McCourt to Keep Paying Spousal Support

Los Angeles - Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt will continue paying his ex-wife $225,000 a month in spousal support pending a trial in November, according to an agreement reached between their attorneys today with the help of a Los Angeles judge.

Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon met with the lawyers in chambers for most of the morning, taking recesses at mid-morning and again for lunch.

Gordon said he was naming two retired judges to assist him with recommendations and to provide him information on Frank McCourt's income in preparation for the Nov. 17 non-jury trial.

The attorneys said one of the McCourt homes was recently sold for $1.1 million and that the proceeds will be placed in an escrow account.

Afterward, both sides said they were pleased with the progress made in the case and with the amount of time Gordon reserved to help them reach the accord.

The McCourts sat in separate sides of the courtroom while the talks took place.

Wasser said Jamie McCourt's goal still is to have half ownership of the Dodgers with her ex-husband.

In addition to the spousal support order, Gordon in May ordered Frank McCourt to pay more than $400,000 a month to maintain their homes.

Two months later, McCourt filed a motion to cut the spousal support. He said he had paid more than $5 million on mortgages of six homes and a condominium last year, as well at $2.7 million in temporary spousal support.

However, his ex-wife maintained he has added more than $44 million to his bank account in the last 15 months. The Dodgers have filed for bankruptcy protection in Delaware, blaming a cash-flow crisis on Major League Baseball's denial of a television deal that McCourt said he needed to keep the club financially sound.

Gordon said he will not make any rulings regarding the sale of the team until the bankruptcy proceedings are completed.

Major League Baseball assumed control of the club's day-to-day operations in mid-April.